Lietuvos sporto rėmimo tradicijos XX a. 3–4 dešimtmečiuose
The Tradition of Sports Sponsorship in Lithuania in the 1920s–1930s

Summary/Abstract: All social activities in the interwar Lithuania were based on private sponsorship as the state did not have funds for them. It was not until the 1930s that sports became of national significance. However, even after 1932 when the law regulating sports activities in the country was passed and the central organization – the House of Physical Culture – was established, clubs still needed private sponsorship to establish competition prizes, pay various bills, promote talented sportsmen, etc. The Government was constantly short of financial resources that could be allocated to sports organizations. National minorities (Jews, Poles and Germans) also relied on private sponsorship while maintaining their sports clubs. The Jews were especially enthusiastic supporting their sportsmen. Initially Lithuanian sports clubs were sponsored mostly by their founders. In 1919 Stepas and Elena Garbačiauskas, Steponas Darius, Karolis Dineika, Petras Oleka and many others were among the initiators of professional sports in Lithuania investing significant part of their private resources to buy sports equipment, rent club premises, start printing sports related periodicals and organize first Lithuanian championships. Some famous Lithuanian artists, actors, businessmen and leaders of public organizations supported sports clubs realizing the importance of sports and physical culture. Opera singers Kipras Petrauskas and Vincė Jonuškaitė-Zaunienė were among the best-known sports patrons. Football, track and field athletics, boxing, car racing, horse riding and shooting were most attractive for sponsors. Presidents of the Republic of Lithuania Kazys Grinius and Antanas Smetona were also among those who patronized sports and established private prizes for various competitions. K. Grinius paid the first official visit to a football match on July 3, 1926. In his speech he emphasized the importance of the sport for the Lithuanian nation. President A. Smetona continued the abovementioned tradition and also established 9 private sport prizes for Lithuanian championships. President‘s wife Sofija Smetonienė visited various competitions organized by women‘s sport clubs. Following the Presidents’ example, members of the Government, heads of state institutions and army generals also started to cooperate with various sports organisatons and established personal prizes. Lithuanian intellectuals felt the obligation to take part in various public activities and to absorb the newest trends coming from Europe, thus they tried to support sports and promote physical culture. In the late 1920s sports became popular among young people and it changed the customs of spending leisure time, formed new hobbies. Sport stadiums, swimming pools, skating-rinks and camps were established not only in bigger towns. Sports events attracted more spectators resulting in the increase of sports related information in the press...

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